Sparking
by Candelabra
Summary: Shortly after the first failed Black Rebellion, Kallen finds CC waiting on her doorstep. She reluctantly takes the other woman in, and with her explanations and prompting, finds the will to fight once more. Vaguely shoujo-ai.


**A/N:** Written (late) for cg_flashfic. Requester was yinake aka Nearu. Warning for some vague implications of shoujo-ai/yuri/homosexuality/lesbianism/whatever you want to call it.

* * *

Two weeks later, Kallen opened the door of the dinghy apartment she was staying in to find a green-haired woman dressed in rags and soaked straight through from the rain standing on the doorstep.

She blinked, stared a moment, and then slammed the door firmly and went back to sitting on the couch.

She listened closely for a moment, but there was no sound from outside, aside from the steady rainfall. No knocking, no ringing of the doorbell. Nevertheless, she flipped the television on and turned up the volume.

"... and as the last remnants of the Black Knights are being rounded up, the new Governor would like to announce that peace is returning to the settlement," said the television announcer. "Those few members of the terrorist organization that are still eluding justice are pictured now..."

It was a bit strange to see her own face staring back at her from the screen — she had always thought, vaguely, that her father would hush it up somehow to preserve his name. But no, there she was, pictured in her full Black Knights uniform. She was listed as Kouzuki Kallen, not Kallen Stadtfeld, much to her satisfaction.

She didn't have to worry about the owners kicking her out upon noticing her — they were Elevens that had sympathized with the Black Knights, and the ghettos were all closing ranks now. No one wanted to give the Britannians anything — which made things much harder for them, of course, but at the same time gave her a measure of protection...

What bothered her more was how few others were mentioned as being still wanted. There was no Toudou, or Ougi, or, heck, even Tamaki staring back at her from the screen... only Diethard and Rakshata appeared to have eluded capture.

And of course not Zero himself...

She shook her head angrily and turned the television off, feeling suddenly almost nauseous.

There was a rattling sound, and she turned just in time to see CC stepping inside, shutting the door behind her.

"How - ?" began Kallen, standing abruptly. The other woman wordlessly held up a bobby pin.

_She just - **broke in**?_ thought Kallen, outraged.

"Oi. Who said you can come in here?" she snapped as CC made her way over to the couch.

"No one," she replied carelessly, draping herself on the old, worn draping as though it belonged to her. She tilted her head back and closed both eyes. "Though you could hardly expect me to stay out there... it took me awhile to find you, you know."

_This woman...!_

"Perhaps you should have taken it as a hint," said Kallen stiffly. She was getting water all over her furniture! And blood, too, probably...

"Not me. I'm like you, I can't understand anything until someone spells it out right in front of me..." Her voice was a lazy drawl, casually taunting, and, furious, Kallen drew her gun, pointed, and flicked off the safety all in one smooth movement.

CC remained relaxed, though she must have heard it. "If you shoot me now, I will probably make an even bigger mess of your couch."

"Get out," snapped Kallen.

To her irritation, she did nothing of the sort. Instead, she rolled over and curled up against the arm.

The gun shook in Kallen's hand. She didn't want to have anything to do with this woman, Zero's — _Lelouch's_ — accomplice. But she couldn't very well shoot her, really, just like this. Unarmed, defenceless... it went against everything the Black Knights stood for.

_But what **did** they stand for, really? If Zero had been a lie, then what...?_

"Where have you been?" she asked at last, replacing the gun in its holster and sitting warily on the other end of the couch. She had to leave the gun behind when she went out, so as not to attract too much attention, but she always kept it with her when she was at home. It gave her some small measure of comfort. "What happened to you? How did you escape...?"

The rag-clad shoulders shifted slightly, but the other woman didn't turn to look at her as she spoke. "I don't see how it's any of your business."

"If you're going to crash at my house, it damn well is."

"I have contacts in high places."

Kallen frowned. "What?" A thought occurred to her. " - did you know, then?"

"Lelouch's identity? Of course."

"And is he the contact you have in high places?" she said.

At that, CC turned around fully, looking slightly amused. "Zero, a captured terrorist? Get me free from prison? Don't be ridiculous."

"What do you mean?" said Kallen, suddenly confused. "He's... he was a fraud, wasn't he?" She was aware that her voice was getting louder, fed by a mixture of hope and bitterness. "He was lying! All this time, he'd just been using us — !"

"And why would this give him any influence over Britannian matters?"

"I..." Kallen shut her mouth, embarrassed. Stupid of her, really, to hope that what CC said meant anything at all. Just because he hadn't cared about Japan didn't mean he was any less of a criminal in Britannia's eyes.

"In any case, how did _you_ escape?"

Kallen looked away. "I..." But there wasn't an answer really, was there? No excuse. She just remembered the mask falling away and seeing someone... seeing a human, not a god, not the ghost of her brother, not some hero, but just that Britannian jerk from class and... she just ran. Left him to his fate.

Shame flooded her, and she hunched her shoulders miserably, staring at the stained coffee table. _It's not my fault. He lied. He used me..._ So why did she still feel so guilty about it?

"Do you have any pizza?" asked CC, voice muffled by her arms as she settled back into a catlike curl in the corner.

* * *

The bed was too small for them to share comfortably.

"I get the bed, you can sleep on the floor," offered CC.

"Fuck no."

CC gave her an appraising look. "You put up rather more of a fight than him, you know."

_Him._ For a moment, Kallen was seized with a burning curiosity, the desire to know — _"CC, were the others right? Did you sleep with him? Were you his lover?"_ — but she clamped down on the urge to ask. She would just love to lord that knowledge over her, wouldn't she.

"You can have the couch," decided Kallen. "Since you seemed so comfortable there earlier."

"Ah, but it's moth-eaten and dirty and..."

"Just take it and be grateful!" she snapped. "I already gave you clothing and food, a place to stay — I'm not going to give you my bed as well!"

CC gave her an unreadable look before stalking out of the bedroom, Cheese-kun in tow. As Kallen undressed in preparation for bed, she heard her speaking quietly outside her door, apparently to no one.

"Well, I don't suppose I can claim that _she_ has to be a 'gentleman' to me, can I? A pity..."

What a bizarre person.

Shaking her head, Kallen settled herself in bed and shut off her light, falling rapidly into sleep.

* * *

She was still there in the morning.

Kallen had half-hoped it was just a dream, but when she ventured into the livingroom she was still there, splayed out across the couch as though she owned it. Like a big cat of some sort.

Shaking her head, she went into the tiny kitchen to pull out the coffee maker and search for some left over pizza in the fridge for breakfast.

A few moments later, she was roughly shaking CC awake.

"You bitch!" she seethed as the other woman yawned and stretched, lazily rousing herself from sleep. "You ate all the pizza — that could have fed me for a week!"

CC blinked at her. "This is why you woke me up?"

Kallen managed to restrain herself from throttling the woman and made her way back to the kitchen, breathing deeply in an attempt to control her temper. She went about setting up the toast and toaster, grumbling under her breath all the while, and by the time she was settling down to her breakfast CC had managed to find her way to the phone.

It took about five seconds before Kallen realized what she was doing. She wrenched the phone out of the other girl's grasp just as she was telling the operator that she would pay with a credit card.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Getting myself some breakfast."

"You can't — I can't afford to buy pizza for your every meal! I mean... heck, I can't even afford to feed you at all, actually."

CC blinked at her and reached for the phone again. "Don't worry, it's not your money."

Kallen frowned. "What do you mean? Do you have some sort of income I was unaware of?" she asked, an idea involving rent beginning to form itself in her mind. Her job as a waitress for the hotel didn't give her very much income, and she was used to living in a rich house with servants and plenty of food and clothing all the time. It had shamed her, sometimes, to think that she lived so comfortably while others of her race starved in the ghetto... but then, she fought for them, didn't she? It wasn't all fun and games and easy the easy, luxurious life. Not for her. She wasn't like those other Britannian noble brats. She wasn't like —

"Lelouch," said CC flatly.

"Eh?"

"I have his credit card. And I know how to forge his signature." As Kallen stared at her, she took the phone from her and began dialling again. "So don't worry about it."

* * *

It wasn't until much later, while she was working the evening shift at the restaurant, that it occurred to her. _If she has all of Lelouch's money at her disposal, why is she staying with me?_

She asked her, later that night, while she was getting ready for bed. CC was already making herself comfortable on the couch, but the apartment was so small that Kallen could easily speak to her from the bathroom.

There was a silence. Kallen frowned, finished brushing her teeth, and stepped out into the hallway. "CC?"

The figure on the couch had its back to her. Kallen waited a few more moments, and then decided she must be asleep already. Annoyed, she retreated into her room and began getting changed.

* * *

On the fifth day of CC staying with her, she lost her temper.

"You can't just lounge around here all the time without doing _something_! Get up! Get a job! Help me out with this!" she snarled, gesturing to the pot she was currently trying to scrub clean.

CC leaned against the doorframe, watching her. "Why should I?"

"I'm letting you stay here, aren't I?"

"So?"

"So show me some gratitude!"

CC tilted her head on one side. "Kallen, what are you doing?"

Kallen looked up mid-scrub. It was the first time she'd heard the woman address her by name. "Right now? Cleaning."

"That wasn't what I meant."

Kallen frowned, turned the water off. CC was looking away from her, staring into the small hallway that connected the kitchen to the bedroom and the bathroom.

"What do you mean, then?" she asked, grudgingly, standing and wiping her hands on a dish-towel as she did so.

CC turned to her, face curiously blank. "The rebellion has collapsed. The Black Knights are all either captured or in hiding. And you, Kallen, Zero's Ace, are huddling in a ghetto, working as a waitress, being the perfect picture of a downtrodden, defeated, pathetic _Eleven_."

Kallen stared at her, a mixture of shock and anger straightening her spine. She opened her mouth to say something, defend herself, give an excuse —

"You keep that gun with you all the time," continued CC, nodding to the holster that remained on her whenever she was in the apartment, "And you watch the news. And you pay attention to rumours in the underground. Does that make you feel better? Rebellious?"

Was that _shame_ that made her face flare bright red, or righteous anger?

"You don't – " she began, protesting, but CC wasn't done.

"All that's left is for you to take up refrain, like that pathetic mother of yours..." said CC, leaning back against the doorframe again and tilting her head back to stare carelessly at the ceiling.

(Her mother, picking up the pieces of a broken vase. Her mother, smiling all the time despite all the harsh insults thrown at her. Her mother, in the warehouse, reaching out for another time — )

Slapping was for boys, insensitive jerks that didn't know anything. It wasn't necessary here.

She punched CC right in the face, making her jaw snap back awkwardly and unbalancing her so that she wobbled and half fell to the side, holding her arms out for balance.

"You bitch," she seethed. "You stupid, stupid... you don't know fucking _anything_, you lazy, uncaring, worthless... _witch_!"

She wasn't sure what made her choose the last word — something in the way the woman looked up at her as she climbed back up into a standing position. Somehow inhuman. And even though there was a bruise beginning to well under her eye, she looked unmoved, unshaken, those eerie gold eyes staring right through Kallen.

For a moment, Kallen thought she was going to say something, and she was sure that if she did she would hit her again, harder. Because that was just the way Kallen was — she reacted. She was violent and vulgar, and she'd spent far too long pretending to be a meek, shy girl. She was on her own now, without any friends, without a cause, with only this — this _witch_ for company, and there was no reason for her to pretend to be anything other than herself.

The moment passed. CC looked away and stalked off without a word. Kallen heard the outside door slam shut, and went back into the kitchen, heart racing.

She stared blankly at the pot. She still held the dish towel in her other hand, clenched so tightly her fingers were beginning to hurt.

That gave her a start. It had been too long since she'd been in a knightmare, if she couldn't hold her hand in a fist for longer than a few minutes without it hurting.

_It's been too long..._

Still staring blankly, she picked up the scrubbing brush and slowly, methodically began to clean again, head full of confusing and conflicting thoughts.

* * *

_"Don't be silly. I don't give a damn about that pesky rebellion, I just need her help for something."_

_Silence._

_"Yes, your son. He hasn't fulfilled our contract yet. You know, this would be so much easier if you'd just tell me what Charles has done with him."_

_But of course the other wouldn't tell her. The only reply was a gleeful, mocking laugh that only she could hear, and then she was alone._

_And really, she didn't care. Why should she? She'd never given a damn about the rebellion, even Lelouch knew that. All she wanted was for him to stay alive long enough to fulfil his contract with her._

_So what was the point of that, then? Just egging Kallen on, getting her riled up and ashamed enough that she'd agree to help. Right._

_But why... why did it bother her so much, to see that girl so obedient and disheartened...?_

* * *

By the time Kallen went to bed, CC still hadn't returned. She wasn't sure if she cared or not. After all, maybe she had finally decided to make some more practical use of her access to Lelouch's money.

Half past midnight, she was still wide awake, staring at the ceiling and wondering, thinking, even _worrying_ a little...

There was the sound of the door to her apartment opening and closing. She lay still, breathing quietly and listening very carefully, suddenly every inch the rebel. The gun was on the bedside table. If it was a robber, she could protect herself — actually firing it might cause too much of a fuss, but just having it in view could be a deterrent. If it was the Britannian higher-ups finally having found her, well, she could at least take some of them out with her...

No, she was being ridiculous. They wouldn't just unlock the door and walk right in. They...

There was a white figure standing in the doorway to her room.

Kallen grabbed her gun and scrambled for the light switch, heart pounding, thinking, insanely, _A gun's not much good against a ghost – !_

CC blinked down at her, pupils contracting rapidly from the light.

"Oh," said Kallen weakly, feeling a bit foolish as she set the gun back down on the table. Well, she _had_ looked strange... what was she wearing? That straightjacket thing. Kallen hadn't seen it since before the Black Rebellion. She hadn't been aware she still had it. It was such a strange outfit, and yet it seemed... right on her. Fitting, for such a strange woman...

"Why are you here?" she asked grouchily, mindful of the conversation that afternoon and feeling suddenly very tired.

CC said nothing. After a beat or two of waiting for an answer, Kallen rolled her eyes, reached to shut off the light — and paused, an oddity catching her notice.

"Hey... why isn't your face hurt anymore?"

CC blinked at her. "I'm a witch, remember?" she said. There was an amused slant in her eyes as she spoke, but Kallen had the feeling that she was completely serious. She found herself just staring at her, body twisted, still half-reaching toward the light-switch.

"CC," she said carefully, letting her hand fall and turning her body to her, "Can I ask you something?"

CC tilted her head on one side, perhaps indicating yes, perhaps indicating nothing.

"Why... were you involved with Zero and the Black Knights, anyway?"

"I told you before. I am Lelouch's accomplice."

_Am. Lelouch's. Not were, not Zero's..._  
Kallen frowned. "But what is that supposed to _mean_? CC, how do you two even _know_ each other?"

CC looked away. "It's a rather long story..." she said distantly.

"We have time."

They didn't, really. It was already almost 1:00 in the morning, and Kallen had been half-formulating a plan to get back in shape as a knightmare pilot, one that would involve getting up rather early...

Nevertheless, she shifted to make room and motioned to CC to sit down.

"I want to hear everything," she told her.

* * *

_Everything? Well, had it occurred to her that she may not want to **tell** her everything? Inconsiderate. Brash brat._

_But she took the seat, anyway, because she had to tell her something. She needed her help._

_And in the very back corner of her mind, she could admit to herself that sometimes, sometimes, it was nice for someone to just **listen** to her, so that somehow they were more than just the memories of an old witch..._

* * *

"We encountered one another in Shinjuku ghetto and made a deal," said CC carelessly. "He dreamt up this Zero idea, and I went along with it to ensure he kept his half of the bargain."

_That's **it**?_ thought Kallen, a bit disappointed. She'd been expecting something... more, really. Something to help her understand...

Still, this was CC. Contrary as a cat, and just as prickly. She could hardly be expected to spill everything in one go.

"What was the bargain?" she asked, pillowing her head on her arms against the headboard.

"I don't see any reason to tell you."

"I'll let you have the bed."

CC turned to look at her. "Really."

Kallen cursed herself for suggesting it. "Yes. Well — yes."

CC's eyes narrowed a bit at the hesitation, but after only a few seconds' contemplation she shrugged.

"Well, I suppose I could," she said quietly, staring at a corner of the ceiling, "But it would be a bit unfair, seeing as he doesn't know the conditions himself."

Kallen sat up straight, eyes widening. "What do you mean?" Zero — Lelouch — had never seemed the kind of person to enter into a contract without first knowing its conditions. Everything he did was so meticulously planned...

(Except for abandoning the Black Rebellion and being unmasked by Suzaku. He couldn't have planned that.)

"I suppose it's alright, though, to tell you this," continued CC, ignoring her question, "I gave him... an ability, and in return he has promised to do something for me. It's as much as he knows."

_An ability...?_

She saw, again, the mask falling in the cave. Heard Suzaku's voice, loud and accusing, saying he'd used... something to make others do things for him. And — had that just been the light? In his eye.

What had Suzaku said?

"... Geass," she said quietly, trying the word out. "What is Geass?"

"I've told you what you asked. Time to uphold your part of the bargain."

Kallen shot her an irritated look. "If you're not going to tell me everything, I see no reason to give you the bed."

"Ah, but you only asked for me to tell you the terms of my contract with Lelouch. I've done that."

"Not completely," countered Kallen, but there was an obstinate look settling over CC's features, so she continued. "So, I won't completely give you the bed. But... we can share."

CC's eyes widened fractionally. "Share?" she repeated softly, sounding and looking momentarily unsure.

Kallen shifted uncomfortably. "There's enough room," she said loftily, "So long as you don't move around too much." And with that, she reached out and at last turned out the light.

* * *

It must have been later, as the night was nearing dawn, that she found herself half-waking as she lay facing CC. Relaxed, still wrapped in the hazy warm cocoon of almost-sleep, she watched the woman as she slept. Hair draped softly around her, skin pale and flawless, arms curled up cutely against the pillow...

She stirred, opened her eyes partway.

If Kallen had been awake, she would have jumped and looked away, flushed, embarrassed at getting caught staring, stammered some sort of excuse...

Now, she only asked the question that had been gnawing on her for the past week.

"CC... why did you come here?"

A blink. She's sure that if CC were properly awake, she'd be given some flat, carefully careless comment about preferring the bed to the couch, but just now...

"I have nowhere else to go," she said, and her voice was soft, quiet and vulnerable like nothing about her ever was.

* * *

In the morning, Kallen woke relatively early in order to be at the weight-training place early. The patrons all gave her wary looks as she entered — she had gone there often enough to recognize many of them, though she hadn't visited recently, but they must all have seen her face on the news.

She picked out her weights and gave them courteous nods, finding a spot in the corner of the room to begin practising her exercises. She didn't look at them otherwise, though she saw them glancing at one another out of the corners of her eyes as she began to stretch.

They were almost all criminals, fugitives from the Britannian Police with numerous mob connections. The weight-training centre itself was run by a notorious underground gang leader. It was probably a little dangerous — they might take her in for ransom — but she was willing to bet on her reputation as both a former Black Knight and a formidable fighter to save her. Not to mention, their own bitter distrust of everything to do with Britannia at the moment.

When she got back to the apartment around noon, she found CC waiting for her on the couch. As she entered, the other woman looked up with an enquiring look.

"Training," she said off-hand, making her way down the short hallway to take a shower.

CC's gaze prickled on her back all the way to the bathroom.

* * *

When she exited, CC presented her with a small bundle. Confused, and not a little suspicious, Kallen took it and spread it out to look at.

And gasped.

"You — how did you find this?" she demanded, staring at the old Black Knights uniform.

CC shrugged. "Rakshata had an extra."

Kallen looked up sharply. "Rakshata? You mean... you know where she is?"

"It wasn't hard," said CC, walking past her to sit lazily on the couch, flicking on the television.

Kallen stared blankly ahead of her. Her mind was going at lightning-speed, shooting off theories and possibilities and — _if Rakshata's — then, maybe — ? And who else... together, perhaps — the rebellion might be — _

"CC. Can you get me in contact with her? And any of the others?"

CC turned one lazy gold eye on her. "Why? Are you getting some ideas...?"

* * *

It settled, eventually, into a kind of routine. During the day, Kallen would train her body to return it to its full potential, while CC found and collaborated with the other few members of the Black Knights who still remained free. In the evenings, Kallen would work at the restaurant, earning room and board while CC searched for others — or, more often than not, lazed in their apartment. And at night, they shared a bed as CC told her things. About the other Black Knights, about Lelouch, and about the Geass.

It both frightened and fascinated Kallen. To have absolute control...? Was she under it? Was that why she followed Zero? It was almost too depressing a possibility to bear. But CC was too vague about it and its conditions for her to know for certain, and in the meantime... in the meantime she couldn't just give up. The question of whether she was under his control or not had to be pushed to the side in the interests of reorganizing the Black Knights into a proper rebel force.

Suzaku had blamed Euphemia's massacre on the Geass, she remembered. When she first understood the implications of that, she wanted to throw up — that Zero, her saviour and beloved commander, could possibly have ordered that — but it was the one thing that CC was very firm about. Lelouch had not planned for that massacre to occur. Whatever he had planned for the SAZ, it was not this.

There were so many questions that she wanted to ask him. How? Why? _Lelouch, did you use the Geass on me?_

"You'll have to wait to ask him all that until we find him," CC told her one day.

Kallen looked at her. "And how will we ever do that?"

CC shrugged, took another mouthful of pizza. "I'll manage it."

Kallen turned her attention back to the papers in her hand, reports from one of the few still-free high-ranking officers of the Black Knights. "We'll need more supplies, first, if we want to get our army back..."

"So?" said CC, standing as she finished off her slice. "That's why we're going raiding tonight, right?"

Kallen nodded. "True. Let's go."

But CC only stood there, tilting her head curiously on one side. Suddenly, she stepped forward, raising her hands to the other girl's cheeks.

"Uh... CC?" said Kallen, confused, blushing a little. She was staring at her very intently, and her hands were very soft.

"This will just take a moment," the witch informed her. "In case... in case something happens, so that I can return your memories."

And she pressed her lips quickly against Kallen's.

She drew back in a moment, leaving Kallen flaming red and wide-eyed with shock, smirking a little. "We're off, then," she said, leading the way out.


End file.
